The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-12
Protection In Virginia.

Richmond Dispatch to Philadelphia Press.
The remarkable growth of Vir-
ginia's mineral industries during the
past year or two has been heralded
far and wide by the Bourbon Demo-
Gratis of the State, but little has been
said of the still more astonishing
growth of the protection sentimen!
which has even gotten in advance of
the material progress. When seven
protectionist Congressman were cleo
ted last November, the Democrats
attributed the result to apathy in
their own ranks, dissatisfaction with
the Administration and other causes
of transient nature, but they knew
very we'll, as all observers of Vir-
ginia's recent. growth know, that it
was due solely to the peoples awak-
ening distrust of the free trade can
didates. This awakening came with
the development of the States min
eral resources and the rise of factories
Just as it has come in all the South
ern States which show signs of ma
terial advancement.
Only few years ago Virginia was
an agricultural state, and very poor
one at that, and no ProtectIonist
would think of standing for election
to Congress, except the manufac-
turing district around Petersburg.
Northern capital then poured in /;
iron and coal were dug out of the
ground, mills and factories. employ
ing thousands of men, sprang up,
wealth and prosperity came to COM
munities which formerly barely ex-
listed by tilling the soil and, pres
TO, change! Now. in every part of
the State, excepting in a few counties
on tidewater Virginia owned almost
exclusively by few old Bourbon
Eandholders, the people are crying
for protection. With the coming of
wealth came a recognition of the
necessity of protecting the source of
that wealth. When there was moth
ing to protect no arguments could
convince the people that high tariff
was to their advantage, and it has
taken the material lesson 10 open
their eyes,.
A glance at the different sections of
the Stale shows the business of Pro-
lection better than columns of stats.
tics. The great iron district in the
Southwest was strongly Democratic
until Northern capital began unearth-
ing its wealth little while ago. Now
it is for protection, and last fall cleo
ted Republican by big majority,
purely on the tariff issue.
The Richmond district has also
taken to Protectionist ideas, and a
Democrat represents it solely because
he is in favor of protective tariff.
When the Democratic party is forced
to the square tariff issue, as it soon
must be, Richmond will send Re-
puOllcOn 10 congress-
The thrifty Petersburg district has
a Republican representative. Lynch
burg. with its factories and its thriv-
ing industries, put its foot on Free
Trade last fall and elected an Inde-
pendent Protectionist to Congress.
The wealthy seaport city of Norfolk
finds Protection necessary. and elects
Republican regularly. The Fred
ericksburg district has just awakened
from its long slumber since the war,
and with the awakening came the
election in November of Republic
can.
The Staunton district has for some
time been awake to the necessity of
protecting its infant industrial plants,
but kept Randolph Tucker in Wash.
ington on account of his personal
popularity. Tucker retired last No.
vember and Staunton replaced him
with a good Republican Protection
ist. Even the Bourbon Danville dis
trict set its foot down on Cabell and
free trade.
And which districts are still in the
free trade column? Two which are
commercially dead and likely to re-
main so-Alexandria and HARRISON
burg. 1t looks very much, indeed,
as if the mother of the Southern
States were taking the lead toward
breaking up the solid free trade
South.
CuriOsities of Ice.